Genesis 49:29-33; 50:15-26 / Matthew 10:24-38
St. Benedict whose feast day we celebrate today was born in AD 450. Although he lived and studied in Rome, he could not take the meaningless life of the city and he went to live a life of deep solitude as a hermit in the mountains.
His reputation spread, and some monks asked him to be their abbot, but when they could not take the discipline he imposed, they tried to poison him.
But his later followers were more matured and sincere and disciplined and with them, St. Benedict began founding communities which developed into monasteries.
Eventually he founded the famous monastery of Monte Cassino which became the roots of the Church's monastic system.
His beliefs and instructions on religious life were collected in what is now known as the Rule of Saint Benedict and it is still directing religious life after 15 centuries.
St. Benedict realized the strongest and truest foundation for the power of words was the Word of God itself: "For what page or word of the Bible is not a perfect rule for temporal life?"
St. Benedict instructed his followers to practice sacred reading. In this lectio divina, he and his monks memorized the Scripture, studied it, and contemplated it until it became part of their being. Four to six hours were set aside each day for this sacred reading.
We who live such a hectic stressful urban life will even wonder if we can ever manage to have four to six minutes a day to read scripture and we could hardly remember what we have read as busyness overwhelms our minds.
In the gospel, Jesus instructed His apostles in these words : The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master.
And one of the ways to grow to be like Jesus our Master is to read and meditate on the scriptures.
In St. Benedict's words: "For what page or word of the Bible is not a perfect rule for temporal life?" May we take some time out in the temporary life to read about and prepare for eternal life.